For Biddeford’s Brook Davis, hitting is just part of the fun in playing softballThe Tigers' junior catcher will be leading a young team attempting to defend its Class A state championship.

... “This game, softball, I’ve played it for a long time,” she said. “It is so much fun for me. I don’t get nervous. I go up to the plate thinking I’m going to have so much fun, I’m going to hit, I’m going to help my team out. I don’t get too, too nervous out there.”

It shows. Davis has become one of the state’s most feared hitters. In two years, she has 18 home runs (11 last year), 67 RBI and 63 runs scored. She hit .577 as a freshman and .633 as a sophomore.

The question this year – with only three starters returning for Biddeford – is whether anyone will actually pitch to her.

1. Scarborough: Tom Griffin calls this one of the deepest teams he’s ever had, which is saying a lot considering Scarborough is loaded every year. The Red Storm have to replace their entire infield, but return all three pitchers from last year (UMaine-bound Lilly Volk, Saint Anselm-bound Abbie Murrell and junior Chloe Griffin) as well as catcher Hannah Ricker, who hit .516 and didn’t commit an error. Shortstop Laura Powell and outfielder Lindsey Kelley head a strong junior class that will keep Scarborough atop the field. And they can all hit.

...“They know the drill,” Carrier says. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s all about the timing and fundamentals.”

Bucksport is a sports town, and softball is one of the reasons why. The Golden Bucks boast seven state championships overall and have won three state titles and five regional titles since 2011. Under Carrier, who coached the Golden Bucks to their 2006, 2012, 2013 and 2015 state championships, the Golden Bucks have amassed a 423-71 record.

Carrier is quick to deflect the team’s success to the system the Golden Bucks have had in place over the years. Bucksport’s youth program has helped the team produce strong players for years, and the passion and knowledge for the game the program produces has his players ready for the varsity level as soon as they reach the high school ranks.

If there’s a team in Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B that appears ready to take the next step, it would be Nokomis Regional High School.

A huge contingent of returning players, including a strong nucleus of juniors who helped the Warriors finish fifth in B North last season, return to lead a potentially dangerous club.

“It’s amazing what one year can do,” Nokomis coach J.D. McLellan said. “They’ve really grown up in a year. Last year, they were on the bench joking around a lot and having a good time. This year, they’ve come in and been all business. They’ve matured.”

KVAC A softball preview: Parity should be name of the game this springSeveral teams hope to emulate Skowheghan's success.

... “I think we’re going to see a very competitive league,” said Skowhegan coach Lee Johnson, whose team surprised everyone last spring with a run from the sixth seed to the regional championship. “I don’t think anybody is going to be the dominant team. I think there’s a lot of teams that are right in the middle of the mix that can beat anybody on any given day.”

The Indians should know. After finishing the regular season 9-7, they rolled all the way to the state title game with a team comprised almost entirely of sophomores in key positions. Sydney Ames and Ashley Alward give Skowhegan a strong 1-2 pitching punch, while Ames batted nearly .500 as a freshman last year.

Messalonskee may have suffered more graduation losses than any other team, but first-year head coach Samantha Moore said the team’s expectations remain the same after winning the 2015 state championship and running through the 2016 regular season undefeated.

Senior pitcher Meranda Martin was a bit of a surprise when she shut down her opponent in the state title game her freshman year. She’s no longer a surprise. Since that time Martin and her teammates have won two more Class D state championship and are the odds-on favorites to win the school’s fifth straight this spring.

Martin has never lost a game at Richnond which is currently riding a state-record 70-game win streak. On one hand she cherishes the streak and on the other puts it into perspective.

“It does mean a lot,” she said. “Not many people get to experience that in their high school careers. What matters most is if we’re having fun and trying our hardest to win another state championship.

That seems like a good starting point when trying to break down the region.

Yes, the elite teams often come from the Western Maine Conference, but many of those perennial contenders have question marks. Local teams — hailing from three different conferences, including the WMC — can all say the same thing.

Poland enters the season with plenty of questions to answer, but that's just fine, according to the Knights.